“We are pleased about that because the level of intensity and the level of demand in the Premier League is very strong.
“He’s probably too young for that yet, as I said, we need to protect our young talent. We think it will be good for him to be in a less demanding league to continue his formative period, so we’ll have a top defender for a decade.
“He saw for his career path, the perfect solution for him.”
Not having to pay the full amount for him now, of course, allows Arsenal to invest money in other areas of the squad and as the old adage goes – if you’re good enough, you’re old enough.
Still, we could do with a defender or two for this season…